Kevin is currently a doctoral candidate in musicology at the University of Kentucky where his Masters thesis focused on the gospel quartet recordings of Bluegrass music pioneer, Bill Monroe. He has written about Bluegrass music vocal styles and presented papers at scholarly meetings including the Society of American Music. As a bassist he has performed on stage, television, and recordings with such traditional musicians as Art Stamper, Lee Sexton, Jean Ritchie, and Curley Seckler. Beginning in June, his Fellowship work at Berea will focus on analyzing the performing styles and repertoires of the various gospel quartets documented in Berea’s radio program collections especially those of John Lair’s Renfro Valley Gatherin’ and other programs aired in the 1940s and 1950s. His efforts will be directed at understanding stylistic similarities and differences within a concentrated region and developing a more complete account of sacred music’s role in the radio programming, gospel quartet contests, and annual all-night gospel singing events produced by John Lair. Further information about Kevin's fellowship research is available on a separate webpage.

James is an Ethnomusicology PhD candidate at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. He has been intensely involved with Appalachian music as a fan, musician, dancer, and scholar since the mid 1990s. In order to better understand the “Round Peak” banjo and fiddle styles which he is studying in North Carolina, and to develop a working theory of regional styles in general, much of his Fellowship work, beginning in January, will involve making comparative transcriptions of tunes and songs from Berea audio collections that are found in both North Carolina and Kentucky traditions. Additionally, he will spend much time doing documentary fieldwork at local music events, dances, and in visits with musicians. The results of James’ work will be shared through campus performance, website exhibits, and deposited in the Berea archives for use by future researchers.

Suzanne is a scholar, musician, and community organizer with degrees in Appalachian Studies from North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College and Appalachian State University where her research focused on community building and rural asset-based community development. Since 2003 she has worked at Appalshop, the multi-disciplinary arts and education center, doing grassroots organizing within the current traditional music communities of Southeastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia. Her efforts have resulted in the development of after-school music programs, a bi-annual workshop / concert series, and production of traditional music programming on public radio station WMMT.

Beginning in January, her three months of Fellowship work will involve research and preproduction of a multi-part radio series about the first twenty years of Berea’s Celebration of Traditional Music. Building on the work of previous Music Fellows, Ajay Kalra and Deborah Thompson, she will delve deeply into the issues of gender, race, and what counts as tradition in Appalachian music. The programs will be broadcast on WMMT over the air and through the Internet and made available to other public radio stations. Audio clips and interpretive notes, and photos will be posted on a website and updated as the series is produced. Further information about Susan's fellowship research is available on a separate webpage.